Blaze

By Richard Bachman (a.k.a. Stephen King)

I listened to the audiobook version of this novel. The history of this book is pretty interesting. King actually finished this book before Carrie, the book that launched him into author superstardom. He tried to create a noire novel, but the finished work didn't have that feel. He presented it and Salem's Lot to a publisher, and they chose 'Lot and passed on Blaze. So Blaze became what King calls a "trunk novel". I had no idea what that meant, but I assume it means a novel he tossed in a trunk somewhere while things rolled with Salem's Lot and subsequent books.

Many years later King re-read the manuscript after uncovering it from an attic. He re-read it and decided it wasn't too bad, it just wasn't a noire book. He rewrote some sections and published that version, donating all proceeds to a charity that helps artists who are down on their luck (since he is a super-dooper-superstar now with millions of dollars to spare).

Blaze was written in the late 1970s, so readers have to be mindful of that when reading it. Nothing in the novel establishes this, just King's Preface to the book. So there are no cell phones, no personal computers, but, luckily, there isn't any disco either.

"Blaze" is the name of the main character in the book. He's a mentally handicapped, powerfully built hulk of a man: at least six foot seven. Because of his handicap, he's pretty much had to lead the life that was handed to him, and most of the people he ran into were small-time criminals. George has been his longest partner, and the one who's taken care of Blaze the best. Though he's rough, he looks after Blaze and gives him parts in their cons that he can handle with his limited mental capacities. There is only one problem: George is dead.

A great deal of the book is handled in flashbacks. Via them, the reader learns of Blaze's early childhood, how he acquired his mental handicap and how he grew up. The reader also leans how he met George and why they worked together so well.

Blaze is trying to lead the life that he thinks George would want him; namely, pulling small crimes without getting caught. And Blaze still talks to George, thouhg he knows it is all in his head (he's not so fargone that he doesn't know George is just a figment of his imagination). But, surprisingly, George is smarter than Blaze and reminds him of things Blaze forgets. Perhaps this is Blaze's brain's way of retreiving instructions that George gave him that Blaze's concious brain forgot, but as reader's we are never explicitly told.

Before he died, George was planning one last "big con". Up until then, all their cons had been small ones, since they were easier to work. But George wants to pull one big one and then retire, perhaps somewhere warm. Without giving much away, their last con is going to be a kidnapping. They were going to snatch a billionaire's infant son, their (so far) only child. They figure this is ideal since:

1. An infant can't squeal on them, and
2. His parents can pay plenty for ransom

Despite the fact that George is dead, Blaze decides to go ahead with it. George had already planned most of the gig before he was killed. Blaze overlooks his own shortcomings, and with George's help through conversations, plans for the snatch.

I can't say much more without spoiling the book. But this book, especially near the end had me on the edge of my seat. I nearly ran off the road trying to listen to what happened next near the end.

Despite the fact that Blaze is really a criminal, the reader can't help sympathizing with him, and actually rooting for him. I wanted him to successfully pull off the caper and cheered for his small successes along the way. That, coupled with the facts that Blaze feels remorse when people get hurt and that he's really a victim himself—of his handicap and those he encountered in life—make it easy to empathize and relate to him.

A few words of warning. While this definately isn't a horror novel, like most of King's other workds, it isn't suitable for children (though I don't think they'd be interested in the subject matter anyway). Mapping the MPAA ratings onto it, I'd give it an R-rating. It's a good, gripping read. The narrator is clear and does a good job of voice acting, being to play the parts of Blaze and George equally well, as well as a host of secondary characters. So read this book if you're in for a gripping ride with an unusual but sympathetic protagonist.

External links

• Blaze at Wikipedia